The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

CMC, Apollo hold medical camp in HP village
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 5
Inspired by the call for moving towards villages under the National Rural Health Mission, launched by the Government of India, medical teams from Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) and SPS Apollo Hospitals here organised a week-long free medical camp at Shug Bhatoli village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

According to functionaries of the Bibi Manmohan Kaur Memorial Welfare Society, which was the guiding and motivating force behind the camp, eye surgeons from CMCH conducted check up of patients and performed surgical correction where needed, free of cost.

A team from SPS Apollo, led by chief cardiologist Dr R.P. Singh, examined more than 300 patients and conducted 125 ECG’s for diagnosis of cardiac diseases.

Dr Singh observed that even though the incidence of heart diseases in Himachal Pradesh was less as compared to Punjab, but it was on the rise mainly because of the use of tobacco in this region.

Dr Singh advised the patients to desist from the use of tobacco and high-fat food. The villagers were also told to guard against defects of heart valves which mostly affected children. This problem starts with bad throat and slowly damages heart valves.

All set for pulse polio drive on Sunday
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 5
The stage is set for the immunisation against polio of over five lakh children in the age group of 0-5 in the district on April 9.

In the course of a massive awareness campaign launched by the health department, the Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajinder Kaur, today flagged off two propaganda-cum-exhibition vehicles from Civil Hospital provided by the state health directorate. These vehicles would go around PHC Koom Kalan, PHC Machhiwara, Civil Hospital Khanna, PHC Payal, PHC Malaud and PHC Sahnewal.

After their night halt at Sahnewal, the vehicles would further proceed to Mullanpur, Sudhar, Pakhowal, Raikot, Civil Hospital Jagraon and PHC Sidhwan Bet. The vehicles, carrying banners and posters about need for polio vaccination, will mobilise people through a public address system for bringing all eligible children to the nearest polio booths on Sunday.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr Rajinder Kaur said that all preparations had been made to immunise nearly 5.39 lakh children in the city and other towns and villages in the district. Around 8000 volunteers were being deployed on more than 2100 polio booths.

A meeting of senior health officers and senior medical officers of the district was convened here yesterday to assess the preparedness. Dr G.B. Singh, Medical Officer (Surveillance) with the Directorate of Health Services also attended the meeting as an observer for the World Health Organisation.

According to the Civil Surgeon, besides setting up 900 polio booths in the city and another 1200 in rural areas, the health department had established 75 check posts on highways and railway station to cover children who are travelling.

As many as 100 mobile teams of volunteers would cover slum areas and other localities by door to door visits to ensure complete coverage of eligible children under the immunisation campaign.

Dr Rajinder Kaur made a fervent appeal to the people to lend their cooperation in making the drive a success so that India could soon join the group of polio-free countries.